Included in this list are books on how to write both fiction and nonfiction.

1. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott — Advice on writing fiction, including exercises to get you started.

2. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss — A guide to proper punctuation with hilarious examples of real-world misuses.

3. The Elements of Style by Strunk and White — A brief guide on how to properly write a sentence.

4. On Writing by Stephen King — This Stephen King classic is more memoir than how-to guide. Still, it reveals plenty of insights into King’s writing process and serves as great motivation for the wannabe novelist.

5. On Writing Well by William Zinsser — If you need to do any kind of writing to get through the day, this book will teach you how to improve.

6. The Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester — This book gives a beat-by-beat guide to writing a fantasy novel. Even if fantasy is not your genre, you can find value in this book.

7. Dreyer’s English by Benjamin Dreyer — A sharp and funny guide to clarity and style.

8. The Everyday Writer by Andrea Lunsford — An all-purpose writing guide for students.

9. The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth — Learn how to elegantly turn a phrase.

10. Stein on Writing by Sol Stein — Editing is an essential part of the writing process. This book will teach you how to fix writing when it is flawed.

11. Everybody Writes by Ann Handley — If you have any interest in creating online content, this book will show you how to attract and connect to audiences.